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Chapter 006 – Return to the Imperial Capital
August 22, 2003
Visually measure the ball closer to the goalkeeper opposite!
Su Long gritted his teeth, his legs sore, his strides faster and bigger.
There was still a chance!
The goalkeeper, already about to leave the penalty area, saw Su Long's fierce charge and hesitated for a second.
It was this second that gave Su Long his chance!
The narrow road meets the brave to win!
As the goalkeeper's hand was about to touch the ball, Su Long leapt and flicked it over.
The ball soared above the keeper's head.
"No!"
The goalkeeper turned desperately, watching as the ball bounced once before dropping into the net.
Everyone on Mexico's bench covered their faces in despair.
On the sidelines, Chinese fans raised their arms and shouted, flags fluttering in the wind.
"Ah!"
"Scored!"
Su Long was immediately surrounded by his teammates, cheering and celebrating wildly.
The Mexican players stood dejected.
The final whistle soon followed.
Su Long took a deep breath.
4–3.
He had scored four goals.
A brilliant senior year!
The first game of his career—already a king bomb!
"Su Long, yes!"
"Yes, today you stole the limelight!"
"Four goals! You can even compete for the top scorer title!"
Supported by teammates, Su Long returned to the bench.
Head coach Liu Ming wore a broad smile as he praised everyone.
"We played too poorly in the first half—too weak! I couldn't see your strength, grit, or speed!"
"Fortunately, in the second half, you finally showed some blood."
"Oda, you persevered. You didn't collapse in the second half, well done."
"Cheng Hua, Xiao Cai, Xu Qun, Liu Qing—you bore the pressure. That's important growth for you."
"Xiao Chen, Bai Long, Xiao Ning—you did well too."
"Honma, Wang Yong, Li Yuchao, Gao Junmin—the midfield was mediocre in the first half, but in the second, you finally played like we train. Especially that last interception, Gao Junmin. Excellent!"
Finally, Liu Ming patted Su Long's shoulder.
"Of course, the biggest hero is Su Long. Everyone should learn from him. He trains the hardest and his technique is the best. To score four goals, especially the second and third—that kind of seizing-the-moment is rare!"
Liu Ming's speech went on and on, until Su Long felt dizzy from all the praise.
After half an hour, the coach finally stopped, only because his throat was dry.
The CCVV5 camera had been fixed on Su Long the entire time. The reporter holding the microphone nearly rolled her eyes at how long the coach was going on.
Finally, she seized her chance and asked:
"Su Long, can you tell us about your feelings at this moment?"
Su Long blinked at the microphone, then the camera.
"Oh, I'm very excited," he said simply.
"How many points would you give yourself today?"
Su Long coughed lightly.
"Everyone worked very hard. The goals are not my credit alone, but the team's."
"So, do you have any plans for the future?"
"No plans for now. Just to play well."
Inside, Su Long thought: Am I going to be on TV this time?
"Come, let's take a photo!"
At the request of the leader and coaches, the entire youth team gathered at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium to take a commemorative picture.
…
Outside the stadium, Chinese fans were still waiting.
When Su Long appeared, they shouted loudly:
"China!"
"Su Long!"
"Ah, Su Long, you're so handsome!"
Three young women rushed up, blushing as they asked for autographs. The sweat on Su Long's muscles seemed to make them even more flustered.
"Brother Su Long, you must cheer for us and win glory for the country!"
Su Long grinned. "Yes, yes."
"Can you sign on my ball?"
Su Long froze for a moment—sign on the ball? That exciting?
But the girl pulled a football from her bag. Su Long laughed, signed it, then quickly signed two more for her friends.
The teammates looked on with envy.
Other fans gathered too. Even as the coaches frowned, they didn't stop it.
Then several middle-aged men approached, speaking in strange English. A fan quickly translated:
"They say they're scouts from Portugal!"
Su Long's heart jumped. Scouts?
The team leader immediately stepped in with a translator, separating Su Long from the men.
"Be careful," the leader warned. "Many so-called scouts are liars. They trick young players with dreams of going abroad."
Su Long sneered inwardly. He wasn't a child—he knew better.
The truth was, the football association and clubs all wanted their slice of transfer fees.
In the end, the scouts left empty-handed, only testing the waters. If the team was interested, they would contact China-based agents later.
…
On August 22, the youth team flew back to the imperial capital.
Su Long, instead of playing the U17 National League, was promoted directly to the Jinmen Datai reserve team. The next step—Dragon Super League.
The thought of Portugal lingered in his heart.
But he remembered clearly—his last football career simulation, when he had gone abroad, had ended poorly.
He decided to wait, to simulate again before making a decision.
Yet now, he had only 〖1 Achievement Point〗. He needed 〖10〗 to start the next simulation.
…
At the arrival hall, Su Long's parents were waiting.
Seeing their young faces again made Su Long's heart ache.
"Xiao Long!"
His mother's eyes filled with tears as she rushed forward.
Su Long hugged her tightly, smiling through damp eyes. Then he noticed the newspaper in his father's hand—Sports Weekly.
On the cover was the team photo in Helsinki.
In the front row, Su Long crouched at the center, smiling brilliantly.
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